Snail Mail Congress

You write it.

We print and mail itto your representatives.

“The best way to have your voice be heard and have a real impact is either meeting with your
MOC's legislative staff in D.C. ... or writing a personal letter that's sent to their D.C. office
via postal mail ... A thoughtful, personal letter - even one that's only 4 or 5 sentences long - can truly
change your elected's views on an issue.”

— Former Senate Staffer from NY1

“I worked for Congress for 6 years, and here's what I learned about how they listen ... tweeting
or
writing on Facebook is largely ineffective ... writing a letter to the district office is better than sending an
email.”

— Former Staffer from Utah2

About

What is it? How does it work?

Snail Mail Congress is a tool that makes contacting your members of congress through postal mail
even
easier than sending an email. First, we help you find your elected representatives based on your address.
Next, you write a short letter about an issue you care about and choose which reps to send
it to. After you click send, we'll print out your letter(s), address them, apply
postage and send them off!

Will you help me write my letter? Is there a template I can use?

We'll handle formatting your letter so it looks professional, but the content is all up to you.
Your
members of congress don't care too much about generic, form letters.3 A short, personal message has
much more impact.

Does it cost anything to send a letter?

Paper, ink, stamps (postage), envelopes and envelope licking aren't free (unfortunately). To keep
the
service sustainable we have to charge $1.28 per letter.
Coincidentally,
$1.28 is exactly what it costs
us to send out one letter. We're always searching for ways to lower the price and we hope to eventually
offer the
service for free.

Why snail mail? Can't I just send an email?

Email is the most common way people contact congress. Staffers are often overwhelmed by the sheer
volume of emails and sometimes use computers to tally and respond to messages.4 Snail mailing
gives your message a better chance of being
noticed. Additionally, your members of congress care about "advocacy that requires effort — the more effort,
the
more
they care.3" We'd like to
think that by using Snail Mail
Congress, you get all of the extra credit for sending a physical letter, without any of the extra effort.

How long will it take for my letter to arrive?

We'll typically send your letter within 1 business day and then it take 2-3 business days to
arrive. Mail sent to your official's DC office goes through a security screening process that adds an additional delay. To
avoid this delay, and to ensure your letter is read sooner, we'll send your letter to your official's district office.

How will I know when my letter is sent?

Every letter gets a status page where you can track its progress (and share it if you want).
Optionally, you can leave us your
email address and we'll send you a notification when your letter is sent.